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Why Genealogy Research is Difficult

Posted on December 12, 2012

In researching a Civil War veteran named Otto Tischer, I came across the following letter in his Pension file. The Bureau of Pensions was having difficulty locating some of his service records, so he wrote a letter of explanation:

“Chicago Ill. 3. 23. 11Department of the InteriorBureau of Pensions

In further explanation, will say that at the first Alphabetical Roll Call at Trenton, New Jersey, the name of Otto Fischer was called three (3) times, I did not answer as there were some “Bounty Jumpers”

I wanted to have my name correct, at the end of the Roll Call the officers stuck their heads together exchanging their ideas of what had become of Otto Fischer and suppose came to the conclusion that he had “jumped.” I then stepped in front of the line and saluted, being asked if I wanted to say something, I stated that my name was not called that my name was Otto Tischer that the name of Otto Fischer was called but that was not my name - you should have seen how their faces brightened up, finding nobody was missing- but I was ordered and as a soldier of course had to obey, to answer to the name of Otto Fischer, until correction could be made, which seems to have been done only in some books…. “